Librarian's Rant

Dear Colleagues:

I am writing to you today to ask you to join me in contributing to the ‘ALA Hurricane Katrina Library Relief Fund.’

Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing flood devastated the lives of thousands of people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Since then, we have encouraged all ALA members to contribute to the humanitarian relief efforts organized by the American Red Cross and other organizations seeking to meet the pressing needs for food, housing and financial assistance for hurricane victims.

The storm which destroyed so many homes and businesses also destroyed or damaged dozens of libraries. While the full extent of the damage and destruction which the storm caused to libraries in the region is just becoming clear, we know for a fact that there has been great damage to many public, academic, school and institutional libraries in the region. These libraries need to be rebuilt, the library staff who work in them need assistance, and the many evacuees created by the storm need to be served.

The Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama Chapters are organizing relief efforts, both temporary and long term. They need our help. Please help them by donating to the ‘ALA Hurricane Katrina Library Relief Fund’ at https://secure.ga3.org/03/alakatrina

This site allows you to make a donation, large or small, to the reconstruction of libraries in the region, using your Visa or MasterCard credit card. We have attempted to make the process quick and easy. I can assure you that all funds collected will go to the three Chapters for immediate relief and long term reconstruction projects.

I would like to thank CSA Bowker and Proquest who have generously donated $10,000 and $5,000 to start the ‘ALA Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund’

There are a number of other hurricane relief funds being organized by Chapters and other library organizations throughout the country, and I want to thank you in advance for your generosity, however you give. For more information on the many relief efforts being organized around the country and some of the additional ways in which you can help those affected by the storm, please visit the ALA Hurricane Katrina web site at www.ala.org/katrina.

Thank you for your support for the libraries, library workers, and library users who will need your assistance in the coming weeks and months. Again, to donate today, please go to https://secure.ga3.org/03/alakatrina.

Sincerely,

Michael Gorman
President
American Library Association

The Texas Library Association is accepting book donations (can be from anywhere) to help the Gulf libraries prepare to re-open for business. The Association is accepting book collections to help libraries fill their shelves.

TLA will ship the donated materials to Gulf Coast states as soon as libraries are ready to receive the materials. To make a book donation, you can ship materials to Braker Self Storage, ATTN: Katrina Book Drive, 2607 West Braker Lane, Austin, Texas 78758.

State library officials in the Gulf Coast report that many libraries have been completely demolished. Those facilities will have to be completely rebuilt and re-equipped. The items most needed include new or very lightly used children's books, adult fiction and nonfiction, reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, almanacs), and Gulf Coast-area collections. They ask that materials have recent publication dates.

Since it will likely be several months-perhaps even a year or two-before libraries are able to take these collections, the Association has partnered with the Texas Mini Storage Association (TMSA) to collect the books and store them in climate-controlled facilities until area libraries are able to receive collections.

Ginny Sutton, executive director of the TMSA, said "We are thrilled to help in any way we can. We want to let our Gulf Coast neighbors know that we are here for them over the long term. We want library officials to know that our member facilities, led by Braker Self Storage in Austin, are very happy to help in this noble effort to replenish the libraries in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama."

Additional information, including information about local relief programs in the affected states, can be found at www.txla.org.

ALA Creates 'Adopt a Library' Program to assist Gulf region libraries recover and rebuild

September 14, 2005

(CHICAGO) While cleanup efforts begin in Louisiana and Mississippi, the American Library Association (ALA) continues its mission to lend support to devastated libraries in the Gulf Coast region. The ALA's Chapter Relations Office has established an "Adopt a Library" program to provide assistance to libraries damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

The program will provide an opportunity for U.S. libraries of all types to adopt a library in the Gulf Coast. The ALA will collect information from libraries that need assistance, and will connect those libraries with others that can provide relief. Contributing libraries are asked to lend support in the way of books, computers, fundraising and volunteers.

Libraries interested in adopting a library may visit ALA's Chapter Relations Office Web site at http://www.ala.org/katrina/adopt and complete a participation form.

ALA's Chapter Relations Office serves as the lead unit in ALA that gathers information on library disasters in the United States, and has been in constant contact with ALA chapters in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, and continues to gather information on damage to libraries in the region. .

Information inquires should be directed to Michael Dowling, director of ALA Chapter Relations Office at 312-280-3200 or mdowling [at] ala.org.